Johann Sebastian Bach, Triosonate nr 2, c moll, BWV 526 | Secrets of Organ Playing, Week 133

This my entry for the Secrets of Organ Playing Contest, Week 133. I play Johann Sebastian Bach's second Triosonata, in c minor, BWV 526.

After all the practising I did to master the indivual parts of this Triosonate, I thought it was time to try and play all three parts in one go. On other words, play the Triosonate, like one would on a concert.

The trouble with this is, the sonata is almost 14 minutes long. And playing that long without making mistakes is a bit beyond me. On top of that, 14 minutes is a bit long to try and make recordings untill there is one without too many misatkes. So, I practised for two weeks by playing all three parts in one go, with the purpose to keep playing when any mistakes occured and just pick up the next note in hopefully sort the right rythm. In short, I practised to keep playing despite any mistakes.

For the recording I wanted to try a mimic a concert setting. In other words, I allowed myself just one recording to create an entry for the contest. Normally, making a recording is already difficult and stress full. Today, with the condition of just one recording, it was very very stressful. There are several spots where I barely manage to keep playing and hit sort of the right notes.

Curiously enough, the place where it really goes wrong (bars 105 and 106 of the third movement) is a place where one of the hands doesn't have to play, i.e. one of the easier spots. If there is one thing that frustrates me in my own playing it is: I always make different mistakes in different spots.

All in all I am satisfied with the result. The goal was to keep playing and I succeeded in that. Next goal is of course to keep playing with less mistakes and stress and to keep the tempo a bit more steady.

But first I think I'll start working on Bach's next, third, Triosonata.

The recording was done with the Hauptwerk software and the sampleset, made by Sonus Paradisi, of the Klapmeyer organ in the St. Nikolai church in Altenbruch (https://www.sonusparadisi.cz/en/organs/germany/klapmeyer-organ-altenbruch.html).